Article

When Police Lie on Reports: What Happened to Marc Fishman Could Happen to You

By Michael Phillips

It started like any other supervised parenting visit.
Marc Fishman, a disabled father with court-ordered visitation rights, arrived with his appointed supervisor to see his young son in New Rochelle, New York.

What happened next destroyed his life — and it was built entirely on a lie.

The Arrest That Should Never Have Happened

On December 15, 2018, Officer Lane Schlesinger of the New Rochelle Police Department responded to a call from Marc’s ex-wife. She claimed Marc had violated a protective order.

What she didn’t mention — and what police already knew — was that:

  • The court order explicitly allowed supervised visitation.
  • A professional supervisor was present, assigned by the court.
  • Marc never entered the ex-wife’s property — he was nearby, as permitted.

But that didn’t stop Schlesinger.

He arrested Marc on the spot.
Then he did something even more dangerous: he lied on the report.

The Power of a Police Report — Even When It’s False

In the official complaint, Schlesinger wrote that Marc had violated the order by going “to the protected party’s residence.”
He omitted the fact that Marc’s court-appointed supervisor was right there — in direct contradiction to the arrest narrative.

He marked “unknown” when asked if a supervisor was present — a conscious decision, not a mistake.
And he signed the report under penalty of perjury, affirming it as true.

That single report was used to:

  • Justify criminal charges
  • Obtain a permanent order of protection
  • Derail Marc’s custody case
  • Fuel false claims of domestic violence
  • Sever Marc from his children for more than six years

There was no grand jury indictment, no independent witness review, and no video evidence ever shown in court.

The only thing that mattered?
The badge and the paperwork.

The Bodycam They Hid

Later, it was discovered that body-worn camera footage existed — footage that contradicted Schlesinger’s report and showed Marc was compliant, supervised, and posed no threat.

But the footage was withheld.

In fact, Schlesinger reportedly told a disability aide in the precinct:

“I don’t think he committed a crime. He had no intent.”

That, too, was never shared in the case file.

Why It Matters — To You

Marc Fishman wasn’t a criminal.
He wasn’t violent.
He was a father trying to see his son — with court approval, under court supervision.

But it didn’t matter.

Because when a police officer lies on a report, the system believes the officer — not you.

You can be arrested, charged, and labeled dangerous.
You can lose your children.
You can spend years — even decades — trying to undo a lie that took 15 minutes to write.

The Badge Carries More Weight Than the Truth

What happened to Marc Fishman is not an anomaly.
Every year, thousands of Americans are charged based on officer narratives that turn out to be false, exaggerated, or selectively incomplete.

But unless you have:

  • A civil rights attorney
  • Video evidence
  • A media platform
  • Unusual persistence

…you will lose.

So Where’s the Accountability?

  • The Westchester DA refused to vacate the conviction.
  • The NY Attorney General refused to act on the lie.
  • Internal Affairs flagged Schlesinger — but he retired with full benefits.

Marc Fishman?
He hasn’t seen his son in over six years — except for two hours in total.

Final Word

When an officer lies, and the system protects the lie, no one is safe.

Not fathers.
Not mothers.
Not you.

If it can happen to Marc Fishman — a father with documentation, a supervisor, and a camera that proved his innocence — it can happen to anyone.

And until the courts and prosecutors stop rubber-stamping bad reports, the paper trail will always outweigh the truth.

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